Ajitasena said, “I have attained an enlightening liberation called inexhaustible appearance, with the attainment of which I obtained an inexhaustible treasury of vision of buddhas. South of here is a village called Dharma, where there lives a brahmin named Shivaragra. Go ask him how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”
So then Sudhana paid his respects again and left.
Shivaragra
Then Sudhana made his way to Dharma village and called on the brahmin Shivaragra. Paying his respects, he said, “Noble one, I have set my mind on supreme perfect enlightenment, but I do not know how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings. I hear you give enlightening beings instruction, so please tell me how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”
Shivaragra said, “I act on a vow of truth, that as by truth, by speaking truth, there has never been, is not now, and never will be, a single enlightening being who has turned away from supreme perfect enlightenment, who is turning away, or who will turn away, by that vow of truthful speech this work of mine may succeed. So whatever I wish comes to fruition. By this vow of truth, I accomplish all my tasks. It is this vow of truth that I know. How can I know the practice or tell the virtues of the enlightening beings whose words and deeds mutually accord in truth?
“South of here is a city called Sumanamukha, where there live a boy named Shrisambhava and a girl named Shrimati. Go ask them how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”
Then, with great reverence for the Teaching, Sudhana paid his respects to the brahmin Shivaragra and left.
Shrisambhava and Shrimati
Then Sudhana went to the city of Sumanamukha, and there he called on the boy Shrisambhava and the girl Shrimati; paying his respects to them, he said, “Noble ones, I have set my mind on supreme perfect enlightenment, but I do not know how an enlightening being is to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings. I hear you give enlightening beings instruction, so please tell me how to learn and carry out the practice of enlightening beings.”
They said to him, “We have attained and experienced an enlightening liberation called ‘illusory.’ Having realized this liberation, we see all worlds as illusory, being produced by the illusion of causes and conditions. We know all beings are illusory, by knowledge of the illusion of afflictions in action. We see all worldlings as illusory, born of the illusion of ignorant craving for existence. We see all phenomena as illusory, arisen from the illusion of mutual conditioning. We see the whole triple world as illusory, produced by the illusion of misunderstanding. We see all sentient beings, afflicted by birth, old age, death, grief, lament, suffering, and sorrow, as illusory, born of the illusion of untrue ideas. We see all lands as born of illusion, produced by the delusion of ideas of substance of existence in the illusions wrongly seen by the conceiving mind. We see all hearers and individual illuminates as illusory, born of illusory thoughts of knowledge and effort. We know the succession of all enlightening beings’ practices, vows, and developmental guidance of sentient beings as illusory, being essentially illusions of action and teaching created from illusion. We see the circle of all buddhas and enlightening beings as illusory, being essentially illusions of the inconceivable realm, produced by the illusions of vows and knowledge.
“We know this enlightening liberation of illusoriness. How can we know the practice or tell of the virtues of the enlightening beings who follow the extensive network of the endless illusion of action?”
Then the boy and girl, having showered Sudhana with an inconceivable stream of virtue and told him of their own range of liberation, said to him, “Go south, to a place called Samudrakaccha. There is a park called Great Array there, wherein there is a great tower called Chamber of Adornments of Vairocana, which has been produced by the maturation of roots of goodness of enlightening beings, originating from the thoughts of enlightening beings, arisen from the vows of enlightening beings, based on the masteries of enlightening beings, created by the power of mystic knowledge of enlightening beings, made of the skill in means of enlightening beings, completed by the power of virtue and knowledge of enlightening beings, showing enlightening beings’ great compassionate guidance of sentient beings, built of arrays of spiritual powers of enlightening beings, adorned by the states of inconceivable liberation of enlightening beings. There an enlightening being, a great being named Maitreya, lives for the purpose of benefiting the people of his native land, developing his parents and relatives to maturity, making those there who carry out the same practices firm in the Great Vehicle, to develop the roots of goodness of other beings according to their states, to show how to enter this liberation, to cultivate the power of an enlightening being to be born anywhere and travel about, appearing in all states of being, to perfect those beings, to develop the power of universal compassion of enlightening beings in the desire to benefit all beings, to become aware of the state of enlightening beings, which is detached from all abodes and locations, and to appear to live in all states of existence while being ultimately unattached.
“Go to Maitreya and ask how an enlightening being is to seek the practices of enlightening beings, clarify the path of enlightening beings, carry out the studies of enlightening beings, purify the aspiration for enlightenment, accomplish the vows of enlightening beings, establish the provisions of enlightening beings, enter the stages of enlightening beings, fulfill the transcendent ways of enlightening beings, persist in the tolerances of enlightening beings, stabilize the qualities of achievement of enlightening beings, and attend spiritual benefactors.
“Why? Because the enlightening being Maitreya has entered into all practices of enlightening beings; he has reached the goal of aspirations of all enlightening beings; he has comprehended the actions of all beings; he has confronted the developmental guidance of all beings; he has fulfilled all the transcendent ways; he has been through all the stages of enlightening beings; he has attained all the tolerances of enlightening beings; he has attained the certainty of enlightening beings; he has received all the predictions of buddhahood; he has roamed in all the liberations of enlightening beings; he has held the empowerments of all buddhas; he has been anointed by all buddhas with the consecration of the realm of omniscience. As a spiritual benefactor, he will nourish your roots of goodness, increase your determination for enlightenment, make your will firm, purify all your roots of goodness, increase the powers of your enlightening faculties, show you the realm of nonobstruction, bring you into conformity with the stage of universal goodness, introduce you to the means of carrying out all the vows of enlightening beings, describe to you the perfection of the virtues of the practical undertakings of all enlightening beings, and tell you about the practice of universal good.
“You should not develop just one virtue, nor concentrate on clarifying just one doctrine, nor be satisfied with just one practice, nor concentrate on carrying out just one vow, nor take up just one instruction, nor rest in completion, nor think of attaining the three tolerances as ultimate, nor rest upon fulfillment of the six transcendent ways, nor stop on attainment of the ten stages, nor vow to encompass and purify a finite buddha-land, nor be content with attendance on a limited number of spiritual benefactors.
“Why? Because an enlightening being should gather infinite roots of goodness, assemble infinite provisions for enlightenment, produce infinite bases of aspiration for enlightenment, learn infinite principles, extinguish the afflictions of infinite beings, penetrate the minds of infinite beings, know the faculties of infinite beings, work for the emancipation of infinite beings, be aware of the conduct of infinite beings, create guidance for infinite beings, destroy infinite afflictions and their consequences, clear away infinite obstacles caused by actions, put a stop to infinite views, remove infinite mental afflictions, produce infinite mental purities, destroy infinite miseries, evaporate infinite oceans of beings’ cravings, dispel
infinite ignorance, bring down infinite mountains of pride, remove infinite bonds of the mundane whirl, evaporate the infinite ocean of birth, cross over infinite torrents of existence, extricate infinite beings stuck in the mud of desire, emancipate infinite beings from the dungeon of the triple world, place infinite beings on the path of sages, extinguish infinite lust, hatred, and delusion, rise above infinite nets of demons, purify infinite will of enlightening beings, increase infinite effort of enlightening beings, produce infinite faculties of enlightening beings, purify infinite resolutions of enlightening beings, enter infinite equanimity of enlightening beings, pursue infinite practices of enlightening beings in their entirety, purify infinite qualities of enlightening beings, fulfill infinite practices of enlightening beings, accord with infinite worldly practices, show infinite adaptations to the world, produce infinite power of faith, stabilize infinite power of vigor, clarify infinite power of mindfulness, purify infinite power of concentration, arouse infinite power of wisdom, stabilize infinite power of resolution, produce infinite power of virtue, expand infinite power of knowledge, establish infinite power of enlightening beings, fulfill infinite power of buddhas, ascertain infinite ways to truth, enter infinite realms of truth, clarify infinite doors to truth, produce infinite lights of truth, create infinite perspectives on truth, illumine infinite groups of faculties, clear away infinite afflictions, collect infinite spiritual medicines, cure sentient beings of infinite sicknesses caused by afflictions, collect infinite stores of immortality elixir, enter infinite buddha-lands, honor infinite buddhas, enter infinite assemblies of enlightening beings, remember infinite instructions of buddhas, endure infinite maliciousness from sentient beings, cut off infinite paths of misfortune, give infinite happiness to sentient beings, create infinite benefit for sentient beings, purify infinite methods of mental command, carry out infinite vows, cultivate infinite powers of universal love and compassion, persist in infinite endeavors in search of truth, pursue infinite powers of meditation, develop infinite mystic knowledge, purify infinite lights of knowledge, go the ways of infinite beings, encompass infinite becoming, appear in infinite different forms, know infinite different languages, comprehend infinite differences in the minds of beings, enter the vast realm of action of enlightening beings, live in the vast palace of enlightening beings, observe the profound state of enlightening beings, awaken to the mysterious realm of enlightening beings, reach the difficult goal of enlightening beings, sustain the hard-to-attain energy of enlightening beings, enter the difficult-of-access certainty of enlightening beings, be aware of the varied practice of enlightening beings, show the ubiquitous miracle of enlightening beings, receive the united multitudes of teachings, spread the infinitely varied network of practices of enlightening beings, fulfill the endless ways of transcendence, receive infinite directions for the future, enter countless doors of tolerance, purify countless stages of enlightenment, purify innumerable ways of access to truth, purify untold buddha-lands, put on spiritual armor for endless eons, serve infinite buddhas, accomplish the undertakings of inconceivable vows.
“In short, the practice of enlightening beings is to perfect all sentient beings, to live in all ages, to manifest birth everywhere in all conditions, to awaken to knowledge of all times past, present, and future, to practice all truths, to purify all lands, to fulfill all vows, to provide for all buddhas, to be one with all enlightening beings in aim, to attain rapport with all spiritual friends.
“Therefore you should not tire of seeking spiritual friends and benefactors, should not weary of meeting spiritual friends and benefactors, should not become complacent about questioning spiritual friends and benefactors, should not give up the determination to contact spiritual friends and benefactors, should not cease striving to respectfully attend spiritual friends and benefactors, should not misconstrue or resist the advice or instruction of spiritual friends and benefactors, should not be irresolute in acquiring the qualities of spiritual friends and benefactors, should not doubt the ways of emancipation shown by spiritual friends and benefactors, should not malign the acts of spiritual friends and benefactors adapting to the world to expedite their work, should not give up increasing pure faith in spiritual friends and benefactors.
“What is the reason for this? It is from spiritual benefactors that enlightening beings learn the practice of enlightening beings; it is through spiritual benefactors that all enlightening beings’ virtues are perfected; spiritual benefactors are the source of the streams of all enlightening beings’ vows; the roots of goodness of all enlightening beings are produced by spiritual benefactors; the provisions for enlightenment are produced by spiritual benefactors; all enlightening beings’ perceptions of truth derive from spiritual benefactors; the purification of all ways to enlightenment derives from spiritual benefactors; the accomplishment of all studies of enlightening beings depends on spiritual benefactors; the virtuous qualities of all enlightening beings are based on spiritual benefactors; the purification of all enlightening beings’ wills is rooted in spiritual benefactors; the steadfastness of determination of all enlightening beings is born of spiritual benefactors; the light of the oceanic mental command and intelligence of all enlightening beings derives from the guidance of spiritual benefactors; the treasuries of ways of purification of enlightening beings are sustained by spiritual benefactors; the lights of knowledge of all enlightening beings are generated by spiritual benefactors; the excellence of vows of all enlightening beings is in the hands of spiritual benefactors; single-mindedness is led by spiritual benefactors; the faith characteristic of the attainment of all enlightening beings has its source in spiritual benefactors; the secrets of all enlightening beings are in the treasury of spiritual benefactors; spiritual benefactors are mines of principles of enlightening beings; the sprouts of power of the faculties of all enlightening beings are fostered by spiritual benefactors; the oceans of knowledge of all enlightening beings are expounded by spiritual benefactors; the treasuries of all enlightening beings are guarded by spiritual benefactors; the accumulations of virtues of all enlightening beings are protected by spiritual benefactors; the purities of life of all enlightening beings are generated by spiritual benefactors; the multitude of teachings for all enlightening beings come from spiritual benefactors; the entries into the paths of emancipation of all enlightening beings are in the keeping of spiritual benefactors; the enlightenment of all buddhas is attained by association with spiritual benefactors; the practice of all enlightening beings is governed by spiritual benefactors; the developments of virtues of all enlightening beings are illumined by spiritual benefactors; the directions followed by all enlightening beings are shown by spiritual benefactors; the greatness of will of all enlightening beings is described by spiritual benefactors; the power of universal love of enlightening beings derives from spiritual benefactors; the power of universal compassion of enlightening beings is generated by spiritual friends; the masteries of all enlightening beings are governed by spiritual benefactors; all elements of enlightenment are produced by spiritual benefactors; the charitable works of all enlightening beings originate from spiritual friends.
“Sustained by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings do not fall into bad ways; supported by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings do not fall away from the Great Vehicle; minded by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings do not overstep the precepts of enlightening beings; guarded by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings do not come under the sway of bad influences; protected by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings do not deviate from the laws of enlightening beings; aided by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings go beyond the stage of sentient beings; taught by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings do not drop into the fall of those who seek individual liberation alone; hidden by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings rise above the world; developed by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings are unstained by mundane things; attended by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings become heedful and alert in a
ll their practices; roused by spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings do not give up their undertakings; assisted by spiritual benefactors, enlightening being become invulnerable to active afflictions; based on the power of spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings cannot be crushed by any demons; in association with spiritual benefactors, enlightening beings develop all the elements of enlightenment.
“What is the reason for this? Spiritual benefactors are those who clear away obstructions, restrain us from evil, teach us what is not to be done, extricate us from folly, dispel ignorance, break the bonds of views, emancipate us from the mundane whirl, cut off attachments to the world, free us from the nets of demons, extract the barbs of suffering, liberate us from the thicket of nescience, convey us across the desert of views, ferry us over the torrents of existence, pull us out of the mud of desire, extricate us from false paths, show the path of enlightening beings, enjoin on us the undertaking of enlightening beings, establish us in spiritual practices, lead the way to omniscience, clarify the eye of wisdom, strengthen the determination for enlightenment, foster universal compassion, tell about enlightening practices, give instruction in the ways of transcendence, direct us into the stages of enlightenment, impart tolerance, engender all roots of goodness, produce all preparations for enlightenment, bestow all virtues of enlightening beings, deliver us to the presence of all buddhas, show all virtuous qualities, inspire us to our goals, enhance efforts and attainments, show the ways to emancipation, protect us from the paths of destruction, illumine the ways to perceive truth, shower multitudes of teachings, extinguish all afflictions, stop the formation of views, and introduce us to all aspects of enlightenment.
The Flower Ornament Scripture Page 199